


Almost Normal Again

by Kiiratam



Series: The Weissian Conspiracy [11]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Compliant, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 11:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20339644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiiratam/pseuds/Kiiratam
Summary: Blake is helping Yang with Bumblebee, and struggling with how things are almost back to normal.Trying to fix it, Blake invites her parents to dinner.Takes place between Volumes 5 and 6, about three days before the start of Volume 6. (My BMBLB fic index)





	Almost Normal Again

If she could just ignore it, everything would be back to normal. Blake tried not let her gaze linger on Yang's new arm. Yang reached back behind herself, metal hand groping for the socket wrench she'd put down earlier. Blake picked it up and put it in her hand. It clinked. Yang looked back, slightly startled. "Oh. Thanks." She went back to work on Bumblebee.

  
If Blake could also ignore the way Yang looked at her now. Never really expecting to see her. Just a tightness around the eyes and the set of her shoulders when they talked. If Blake could just ignore Yang's anxiety around her.

  
But she wouldn't. Couldn't. Blake knew that if she'd stayed with Yang in the first place-

  
But she hadn't. And there was nothing she could do to change that now. It didn't matter that Blake was ready, would have thrown herself into Yang's arms ...if she still had them. If Blake didn't have a constant, bright yellow reminder of how Yang had changed since Beacon.

  
Yang looked at her, handed the wrench back. Smiled at her. It was a wan little smile, the sun behind clouds. It hurt, next to Blake's memories. Of basking in Yang's happiness, letting it ease her pains.

  
She smiled back, but Yang had already turned back to her bike. _She won't try again. She knows you won't give anything back. Just keep taking and taking, like you did with Pyrrha. Like Adam always said you did._

  
_ Breathe in, that's not true, hold it, Adam lies, breathe out. Pyrrha would be happy for you. _

  
Everyone else was. She wasn't how exactly it had happened, but all of her friends had pitched in. To get Yang and her talking again. Had all but shoved the two of them in the garage attached to the Mistral house. Whenever Blake opened the door, someone was nearby to ask if she needed anything. She wondered if they did the same thing to Yang. Blake wasn't sure if Yang had noticed all the effort their friends were spending.

  
Yang, who had always picked up on everything. Who had picked up right away, when Blake had tried to find out what she wanted for her birthday. Who had encouraged Blake's quiet fumbling attraction, had made her feel safe and secure. Which Blake had desperately needed in those early days at Beacon. And even if she misread Blake, Yang was always willing to back off, give her space.

  
Ugh. She was just going around in circles. She couldn't get Yang talking. At least not about anything important. And Blake was _out_ of light conversation material. Yang was easy to talk to- had been easy to talk to. Still was, if she would say more. Or start conversations. Blake had a sudden flash of sympathy for old Yang. Blake certainly hadn't been easy to talk to. She tried not to think about their first conversation, Yang dragging Ruby over to talk and make friends.

  
_Focus, Blake. How do you fix this?_

  
Yang reached out, slightly to the left. Blake hazarded a guess and handed her a clean rag. "Thanks, Blake."

  
Blake managed to smile back at her before she went back to work.

  
This _was_ helping. Showing Yang that she was here. Ready to help. It wasn't going to fix everything right away, but it was helping. It had to be.

  
What else? Ruby had training scheduled after lunch. She wasn't sure who'd explained things to Ruby, but they'd done a good job of it. Ruby was focusing on their teamwork, their combos. Driving Blake hard, to get her synced up with everyone else again. Blake's everything just hurt thinking about it. Go full speed with Ruby, slicing away for Ladybug. Dash around, stance dancing with Weiss in Checkmate, using her glyphs for even more speed. Hammer toss Yang at the bad guys with Bumblebee. Blake smiled at Bumblebee the bike. She wasn't sure if Ruby had named the maneuver after Yang's bike, or if she'd just stuck to her bugs and flowers theme.

  
Given that Ruby had them practicing a full team maneuver named 'Pollination', Blake figured that Ruby had just stuck to her theme. Pity Checkmate didn't really fit. ...And Ruby and Yang didn't even have a combo technique. At least not one she'd seen them practice. Maybe it was just that the two of them had such dissimilar styles.

  
Ruby was all long range fire and sweeping motions. Yang was short range, and did her best when she could close up with one opponent and beat them into submission. Blake knew that Ruby tried to pick off anyone who tried to join Yang's fights. And Yang was always listening for Ruby's cries for help. Blake wasn't sure how else they could work together. Ruby clearing the way for Yang to get a shot at a big one?

  
Seeing Yang start to stand up, Blake asked, "What did you need?"

  
Yang shook her head. "Just getting a better angle."

  
Blake tried not to hover. She just had to keep reminding Yang that she was here to help. Just... not oppressive. She'd detested when Adam had treated her like a delicate doll. Of course, she wasn't about to demand that Yang 'repay' her for her caretaking.

  
Shook herself, left the well-beaten trail of those thoughts. At least Blake could tell when she was on that trail, and navigate back to safer ground. Even start clearing the trail, trying to learn from her earlier mistakes.

  
Focus. Yang. Yang needed her help. Blake had to be there for her. Had to keep her safe. What else? Practice as a team. Remind Yang that all of her friends were here for her. That even people she hadn't met were grateful for what she'd tried to do. What she'd done.

  
Blake closed her eyes and tried not to sigh. Her mother had been wanting to meet Yang, thank her. And her father, but her mother had been mentioning it in nearly every conversation. It might help.

  
Team RWBY, JNR, Oscar and Qrow were leaving Mistral in a few days - if Blake wanted Yang to meet her parents, she'd have to work fast.

  
After checking on Yang - concentrating on unscrewing some tiny screws - Blake pulled out her scroll. <Hey Ruby, are we good to have company tonight? I wanted to invite my parents over to meet everyone.>

  
She looked through the local news while she waited for a response. Nothing about problems with the Menagerie militia, or human/Faunus tensions, or anything like that. It wasn't like she expected anything. Adam's White Fang were being guarded by Mistral Police and Menagerie Marshals, and the militia were just ordinary people who'd taken up arms. It wasn't like they were a conquering army. They'd come to save Haven Academy. But friction was inevitable, and she was sure her parents and the militia captains had their hands full making sure everything remained amicable.

  
Blake had wanted to help more, but her parents had told her to focus on her team. Though her father had loaned her a few books on leadership and logistics. And her mother had told her to talk to Weiss about logistics. How her mother knew that Weiss took classes on that back at Beacon... Sun must have mentioned it. It wasn't like Weiss didn't obsess about organization. Blake may have been occupied with Torchwick at the time, but Yang had told her stories about organizing the dance. And there was the way Weiss took notes. And sorted her clothes. Had sorted her clothes. At this point, Blake was pretty sure she had more outfits than Weiss. Running away in the middle of the night with one suitcase would do that.

  
Her scroll chimed, and Blake flipped to Ruby's message. She must have been in the middle of something else. Ruby usually responded quickly. <Yeah, sure! I think JNR and Oscar are hanging out with SSSN tonight, though. Weiss was going to go, but I can talk her out of it.>

  
Why would Weiss...? Oh, right. Neptune. Blake had thought Weiss was over him. Maybe she was, if Ruby could talk her out going. Or maybe Weiss was crushing on Scarlet or Sage. SSSN _was_ a team of very attractive men, after all.

  
Ruby sent a second message. <I think uncle Qrow is going to be off running errands all night. Want to invite Ilia? She's so quiet in big groups. Probably because she doesn't know anyone. Having your parents around might get her to talk a bit more.>

  
Blake thought. That was unusually insightful for Ruby. Then again, Ruby wasn't exactly chatty around people she didn't know. That was probably it. She typed back, <Sounds like a good idea. RWBY, my parents, and Ilia. I can probably talk my parents into bringing food.>

  
She looked up. Yang was still intent on those tiny screws. She nearly opened her mouth to ask if Yang needed anything, then stopped. Too much. Back at Beacon, they'd mostly worked in silence. Her reading, Yang occasionally asking for a tool, or an extra set of hands. Blake just needed to make enough noise to remind Yang that she was still here. But not enough to disrupt her. Her scroll going off had probably been enough. Yang hadn't even looked at her own. They were slightly different noises, after all. Yang's sounded like a bee buzzing nearby. Blake's was a set of wind chimes.

  
Okay, her parents first. <Did the two of you want to come and have dinner over here tonight? Dad, you just have to promise to behave yourself around Weiss. No ranting, okay?>

  
<We would love to! I'll make your father behave.> Good grief. Had her mother been waiting by her scroll? No, she had too much to do. She must have just had her scroll out for something else.

  
<She may be a Schnee, but what you've told us about her is intriguing. I'd love to talk to her. What are we doing for dinner?> Since when did her father respond that quickly? They must be in the same room together.

  
Blake typed back. Thought a bit, revised a few word choices. Sent the message. <I thought the two of you might want to bring dinner. Maybe Faunus Fusion?> One of the few benefits of living outside the Kingdoms was freedom. In this particular case, freedom to borrow from all sorts of culinary traditions. Menagerie cuisine was influenced by what was available - lots of seafood and coconuts, but the proud tradition of cooking whatever was available for dinner was alive and well.

  
Her mother responded. <How many people?>

  
<I was going to ask Ilia, since most everyone else is out of the house. So just RWBY, you two, and Ilia if she comes.>

  
<That sounds lovely. It'll be nice to have a small dinner for once.> Her mother had been hosting dinner meetings the entire time they were in Mistral. Between militia captains, Mistral officials, and guests, the dinners had been starting at ten people, and going up from there. It was one of the reasons Blake had been glad to escape to the (comparably) tiny house that RNJR and Qrow had been loaned. With four more of them in the house, it was a little more cramped.

  
There were still six bedrooms. Weiss had given her the whole saga of the bedrooms, and Blake ran through it again. Everyone had their own room at first. Then Oscar showed up, and took the last bedroom. But by that point, Nora and Ren were effectively in the same bedroom. Yang and Weiss had driven through one of Raven's portals, and Bumblebee got the garage, Weiss got her own room, and Yang had moved in with Ruby. And then Blake had moved in with Weiss, after a few days in the estate the Mistral council had gifted to the Menagerie militia. Her parents were busy trying to turn it into a permanent embassy. But with the entire militia still there, and local Faunus leaders coming and going, and Faunus coming in, wanting to leave for Menagerie and and and.

  
No one had their own room there, either. Blake had been rooming with Ilia. Which they hadn't done for years. Though 'rooming' was a bit highbrow for being stuffed into the same small tent. Blake still remembered sneaking out, trying not to wake Ilia. To meet with Adam by moonlight. It had been so romantic, at the time. But rooming with Ilia again... it wasn't like either of them talked much. But Blake remembered what Ilia had told her in Menagerie. The hints she'd dropped back when they were both in the White Fang, and Blake was with Adam. That Ilia liked - loved Blake. Blake had tried to not let it affect anything. She liked Ilia, she really did. But both of them still had a lot to work through. And Blake couldn't be the only important person in Ilia's life. Blake had been there, been so wrapped around Adam that she'd stopped being anything other than another limb. She wouldn't let Ilia hurt herself in that way, even if it seemed like it might help. With Blake's parents to help Ilia, maybe she'd be able to find her balance again. Untangle herself from the violence and hate and spite of the White Fang.

  
Speaking of, Blake still needed to ask Ilia. <Did you want to come and have dinner with RWBY? My parents are bringing Faunus Fusion.>

  
And for all Blake liked Ilia, as a friend, as a fighter, Ilia had tried to kill her. Repeatedly. Had attacked her family alongside the rest of the White Fang. Tried to bundle her up and send her back to Adam. After seeing them together for years. Ilia would have had to be an idiot not to pick up on some of what had gone on. And Ilia wasn't an idiot. Misguided, but not an idiot. Blake hadn't shown Ilia the latest, very obvious scar she'd gotten from Adam. From Wilt. Maybe she should.

  
"Could you hand me the wire brush?" And there was Yang.

  
"Tiny or extra tiny?"

  
"Eh. Both." Blake passed them over. Yang who Blake liked as a friend, as a fighter. More. Who had thrown herself at Adam because she heard Blake's scream. Who had lost her arm for her kindness. Who Blake had left, trying to protect her from further White Fang attacks. Who Blake had abandoned. Even though she knew that Raven had left Yang. Even though she knew that Summer had been taken from Yang and Ruby.

  
_Breathe in, hold it, breathe out. _

  
There was no use in beating herself up over it. She'd done it, she knew it was a mistake now, and she was back. Blake just hoped Yang understood, and could forgive her.

  
Blake's scroll chimed. Then again, before Blake could open it. Yang snorted. "Someone's popular."

  
"Just getting something set up. I'll tell you about it once everything's ready."

  
Yang went back to work.

  
Opening her scroll, Blake looked at her messages. One from her mother, one from Ilia. She opened the one from her mother.

  
<Everything's set up for dinner. I told them we'd pick it up around five. So we'll be there by five-thirty, six. Your father is so happy to get out of his evening meeting.> Blake hoped that she hadn't somehow managed to disrupt the entire Menagerie/Mistral embassy process. But it was just one meeting.

  
Blake typed a quick confirmation to her mother, sent another message to Ruby about her parents' arrival time, and that food was taken care of, and opened the message from Ilia. At least Ilia had responded in her usual amount of time. Between Ruby's too slow response, and her parents' too fast response, Blake had been getting suspicious. Twice could be coincidence. Three times was enemy action.

  
<That sounds fun. Where, when?> Blake passed the information along, closed her scroll.

  
"My parents are coming over for dinner."

  
Yang nodded, working the tiny brush.

  
"I told you about them, right? I mean, kind of. Kali is my mother, Ghira is my father."

  
"'They worked for Faunus Rights, then settled in Menagerie.' You did say that. You left out how important they were."

  
Blake tried to keep herself from stiffening. She hadn't exactly told Yang much about her parents. "I didn't leave them in the best of circumstances. It would be like Weiss bragging about her father owning the SDC now."

  
"Ah." Yang bent a little closer, swapping the smaller brush to her artificial hand. Very carefully started cleaning out a tiny seam.

  
That was it? No teasing? No comment on Blake comparing herself to Weiss? No 'princess of the White Fang', or 'hail, daughter of the chief'? Conversation over?

  
She tried to extend the conversation. "I think you'll like my father. He reminds me of you."

  
The extra tiny brush flew out from between Yang's fingers. Went bouncing under the workbench.

  
Blake bounded up. "I'll get it." She got down on her hands and knees, started looking.

  
"Thanks." Why was there an edge in Yang's voice? Was it just that her fingers weren't doing what she wanted?

  
There it was. Blake reached under the workbench and retrieved the brush. Got to her feet, and held it out for Yang, who was clenching her new hand in her original.

  
"Still a few problems?"

  
"Yeah. Almost normal."

  
Blake tried not to stare at the black and yellow device, looked up at Yang's face. "Can you fix it? I'm sure we can find someone with Atlasian technological experience."

  
"It's fine. It's me, not my arm." She reached out with her real hand and took the brush back. Went back to work. Said, barely audible, "I don't think your dad likes me."

  
Was she supposed to have heard that? Yang knew she had good hearing. ...Wait. When...?

  
"Did the two of you talk at Haven? He really doesn't like fighting, so you didn't catch him at his best."

  
Yang blew out a breath. "No, not at Haven. He came by the house."

  
He hadn't mentioned anything about that to Blake. She waited for her to continue.

  
Setting the brush down, Yang looked up at Blake. Straightened up. "The night after the battle. He sent me a message. Met me in the courtyard. We talked."

  
"About what?"

  
"You. Adam. Me."

  
Blake tried to choose her words very carefully. "And you don't think my father likes you."

  
It wasn't the laughter Blake remembered. Bitter. Angry. "No. No, he doesn't."

  
And Blake had invited her father to dinner. "You don't have to come to dinner. I can come up with an excuse. Nora and everyone else are going out with SSSN. You can tag along with them."

  
Yang had put her hands on Bumblebee's handlebars. Her real hand was white knuckled. "You didn't know." She closed her eyes, started breathing slowly and deliberately. After a few repetitions, Yang opened her eyes. "I think we've swapped places. _I'm_ supposed to do the thoughtless things, Blake, and _you're_ supposed to have the secrets."

  
She couldn't help it. Blake laughed. Yang was still there. "Did you want to come anyway? It's going to be Faunus Fusion for dinner."

  
"Sure. Our conversation didn't go great, but I can behave. And I haven't met your mom. "

  
"I wouldn't worry too much about her. She's been asking when she could meet you the entire time we've been in Mistral. Sun told her stories."

  
Yang shook her head. "That's supposed to reassure me? I know Sun."

  
"Good stories. Probably. I hope."

* * *

_Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
Blake opened the door. Her parents were standing there, arms full of paper bags. She could still see steam coming off of some of them. "I can take some of those."

  
"Nonsense!" Her father hefted the bags he was carrying. "Just show us where to put everything down."

  
Leading them into the kitchen, Blake spared a quick glance at Yang. Who was sitting on the couch with Ruby, eyes shut. Ruby was sitting very close to her, was holding Yang's metal hand between both of hers. Yang must have told Ruby about everything. But Ruby looked up at Blake, and her expression wasn't 'how dare you hurt my sister.' It was just Ruby, smiling at her.

  
In the kitchen, her parents set all the bags down on counters, and, after giving Blake quick hugs, started to lay out all the food.

  
Weiss was hovering in the doorway. "Did you need help?"

  
Blake darted a glance at her father. He'd noticed the Schnee white hair. Smiled...? At Weiss. Weiss _Schnee_. Her mother really had done work.

  
"No dear, it's fine. All the work is done already. Just need to get dishes." That was awfully _familiar_ of her mother. Blake opened one of the cabinets, started grabbing plates. Pointed out the silverware drawer to her mother.

  
"I'll just go get everyone else ready." The doorbell sounded.

  
"That's probably Ilia." Blake started back towards the front door.

  
Holding up a hand, Weiss stopped her. "I'll get it." Turned around, and went to let Ilia in.

  
Umm. Blake really _really_ hoped Ilia didn't react badly to being suddenly face to face with a Schnee. They'd met before, but only casually. Her hands full of dishes, Blake couldn't exactly throw up her hands. There were only so many crisises she could worry about at once. Weiss could handle herself. And if she couldn't, everyone else was right there. Ears pricked, she heard the front door open again.

  
Heard Weiss say, "Hello again, Miss Amitola. Won't you come in? Mrs. and Mr. Belladonna just arrived with food."

  
"Thank you, Weiss." That made some sense. Weiss was being deliberately formal and deferential, and Ilia wasn't calling Weiss 'Miss Schnee.' "How are you?" That made less sense. Ilia wasn't really one for small talk.

  
"Very busy. But I think-"

  
Her mother poked her head out of the kitchen. "Dinner is all ready! Come get it while its hot!"

  
The kitchen was bustling with seven people in it, and Blake couldn't really keep track of everyone and get food. Eat first, worry later. She did notice Yang hanging back a bit, letting everyone get food first. Her father had made up a plate with a little bit of everything, and was one of the first to leave.

  
He nodded at Yang. "Miss Xiao Long."

  
"Mr. Belladonna." Yang's arms were behind her back, her face calm.

  
Blake started breathing again as her father went into the dining room. Weiss and Ilia had picked up food, and exited the kitchen. _Chatting_. What even was going on? Blake set her plate down as she noticed her mother fixate on Ruby and Yang.

  
"Mother, I don't think you've really met my team mates. This is Ruby Rose-" Ruby gave a little wave with her fork. "-and Yang Xiao Long." Yang hastily swallowed her mouthful of food, ducking her head. "This is my mother, Kali Belladonna."

  
"Oh, I've heard so much about the two of you." Her mother had what Blake thought of as her 'mom smile' on. She'd been using it on Ilia, too. "But we can talk after we eat." The sisters nodded gratefully, eyeing their plates.

* * *

This was a nightmare. Blake tried to force herself to relax. Embarrassment, she could handle. At the moment, embarrassment wasn't even registering. Her mother had told _that_ story, about Blake's Semblance and the cabbage merchant, and it barely registered. She expected that it had ruined the effect somewhat, to not have her cringing and red-faced throughout the recounting.

  
Nothing _was_ happening, that was the worst part. Her father was trying to draw Ruby into a debate about the role of Huntresses and Huntsmen in society, but was being restrained about it. Her mother was sticking to anecdotes about Blake's childhood. Not always how Blake remembered them, but close enough. Ilia and Weiss kept coming back to color theory, of all things. Yang was being unusually quiet, sitting next to Blake. Just taking in everyone else's conversations while eating.

  
If her father and Yang could just blow up at each other, that would be something. But her father had just thrown out some comments intended to draw Yang in, and they hadn't worked. Her mother kept addressing the bulk of her stories towards Yang, and received a few smiles and chuckles, but no real response. Even Ilia had turned to Yang, asked her to weigh in on the difference between yellow and gold, as a part of her ongoing discussion with Weiss. Yang had just said, "Shininess." And that was it.

  
Having, over the past several minutes, surreptitiously slid her chair closer to Yang's, Blake reached out. Grabbed onto Yang's real hand, which was resting in her lap. Squeezed tightly. Yang looked up at her, holding on tightly. Waited for the next lull in the conversation, then asked Blake's mother, "Was Blake secretly a twin?"

  
Her mother laughed. "I think I would have remembered that part. _Someone_ took her time coming out, though, and I was a little loopy by the end of it. Who knows?"

  
"Well, it's just that I met a woman in Mistral who looked exactly like her." Yang set her fork down and gestured at Blake. "Same ears, same little curls, everything. Her family name was Wolfsbane, though. You don't have any long lost cousins by that name?"

  
Her father shook his head. "No, but it's possible. Where in Anima?"

  
Yang pulled out her scroll, started paging through it. "I can't tell you exactly. There were two weeks or so when the skies just opened up, and all I could do was follow signs towards Mistral." She pulled up a map and slid her scroll across the table. "In that province. Somewhere."

  
Picking up the scroll, her father looked at it intently. Her mother asked Yang, "What happened?"

  
"I'd been riding in the rain for hours. First the road was washed out, then I got lost on the back roads, then night fell, and I was just looking for shelter. I found a farmhouse, knocked on their door, got menaced with a shotgun, and stayed overnight in their barn. The next morning, I actually got a good look at shotgun-lady. And, well," Yang gestured at Blake. Blake mimed racking a shotgun with her free hand.

  
"Did you take a picture of her?" Her mother had been passed Yang's scroll, and she glanced down at it before passing it back down to Yang.

  
"I should have, but I don't know if Mrs Wolfsbane would have agreed to it."

  
Her mother's ears quirked. "She was married?"

  
Yang snorted. "With a dozen kids. Some of them must have been twins or triplets, or something. She did look a bit older than Blake." Wincing, Blake tried not to imagine being pregnant nearly continuously for a decade. "But the Belladonna women clearly age well, so she might have been a good bit older."

  
That got her mother smiling. Not her 'mom smile.' _Yang, why. Sun was bad enough._

  
"Mrs. Wolfsbane did tell me an interesting thing. That everyone had seven doubles in this world. Anyone else ever heard that?"

  
Around the table, everyone shook their heads. Except for Ilia. "I have. A little old lady told it to me, because she said I looked just like one of her grandchildren. But she didn't know I was a Faunus."

  
Yang looked worried for a moment. "Did she say anything else about it?"

  
"It was nearly a decade ago." Ilia shrugged. "I don't really remember." She closed her eyes, brow furrowed. "She just gave me a candy, and told me to be safe, then went on her way."

  
"See, Mrs. Wolfsbane said something else. That all seven doubles - or I guess eight, total - were tied together. They're born around the same time, and they die around the same time." Yang blew out a breath. "She told me to keep Blake safe, since she was a Huntress. I guess she didn't want to leave her kids without a mom."

  
Ilia nodded. "That would explain why my not-grandmother told me to stay safe."

  
Picking up her scroll again, Yang put it away. "So, uh, I told her to contact me or team RWBY if they ever needed a Huntress."

  
Ruby clapped her hands. "Great!" She paused, flushed. "Uh, not that I hope something happens. But how cool would it be to see Mrs. Wolfsbane and Blake right next to each other?"

  
Blake wasn't so sure about that, personally. Her mother seemed to disagree. "I think I'll do some looking, see if I can find her. I could use some grandchildren."

  
"Mom!" Good news, embarrassment was registering again. Bad news...

* * *

Blake had to let go of Yang's hand eventually. The two of them had gathered all the dishes up, and brought them over to the kitchen. Almost had a moment together to talk, Blake reaching out to take Yang's hand again. But Ruby came into the kitchen, head turned back towards the dining room. "I can get it, Mrs. Belladonna." She turned back to face the two of them. "Blake, do you know where all the tea stuff is? Your mom wants to make some."

  
"Oh. Yeah." Blake set water on to boil. Went over to one of the cabinets, started getting stuff out. "Did she say what kind?"

  
"Nope." Ruby turned to her sister. "Where did you hide all the cookies?" And in response to the look Yang gave her. "Well, they're not all for me! I was going to _share_."

  
"Suuuuuure you were." Yang opened the cabinet doors under the sink, and reached up into the space between the sink and the wall. Pulled out a package of cookies, and tossed it at Ruby. "I'll bring out more with the tea."

  
Grumbling something about the tyranny of cookie distribution, Ruby grabbed a few plates and went back into the dining room.

  
After Yang was sure Ruby wasn't peeking into the kitchen, she went to the pantry and got down a box of oatmeal from the top shelf. Pulled another bag of cookies out of it. Set it on the counter, and opened the cabinet with pots and pans, started digging in it.

  
Blake shook her head, and tried to find a tray that would fit all the necessary tea cups. "No wonder Ruby can't find the cookies."

  
"It's either this, or no cookies for the rest of us." Yang pulled out a stack of bamboo steamers, and started pulling individually wrapped cookies out of it. Stacked them back up and put them away. "I'm really proud of the next one, though." She reached up to the top of the fridge, and took down the large jar labeled 'cookies.' Took the lid off and showed it to Blake.

  
There were cookies inside. Blake looked up at Yang's smiling face. "How long do you think that'll work?"

  
Yang shrugged. "Usually? About a month. I think we're up to reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse psychology. Or so."

  
Blake found a tray, and started arranging teacups on it. Added the sugar bowl, all the various paraphernalia. Tried to decide between two blends of Mistral Green. Shrugged and picked one. Handed a tray to Yang for her collection of cookies. "How are you doing?"

  
"Probably going to have to find new hiding spaces." Yang started piling cookies on the tray.

  
Keeping her face neutral, Blake waited for Yang to say more. Watched the tea pot.

  
"I'm sorry." Yang moved closer to her, her voice low. "I just- what can I say? Your parents are nice. They're both trying. I'm trying." She leaned on the counter, gripping the edge. "Your mom reminds me of mine."

  
Blake felt her ears flatten a bit. "My mom reminds you of Raven?"

  
"No, no, no. Summer. She reminds me of Summer. If you want to see me and Ruby break down in tears, tell her to offer to make cookies." She blinked a few times, swiped her artificial hand over her eyes. Frowned, tried again with her real hand.

  
Raising a hand to Yang's hair, Blake stroked it with her knuckles.

  
"Think your mom would mind a few more daughters?" Yang asked, her voice thick.

  
The water started boiling, shrieking out of the tea kettle. Blake took it off the heat, set it on the tray. Turned back to her friend. The moment had passed.

  
Yang was turning away from her, grabbing the handles of the cookie tray. "We should get back." She headed off towards the dining room.

  
Blake followed her with the tea tray, kicking herself. She should have left the water to boil. Never mind the noise.

* * *

By the time Blake realized what was happening, it was already too late. Yang had gotten up to get some air and gone out to courtyard. Blake had wanted to follow her, but her mother had ambushed her and Ruby with a question about their travel plans. She'd glanced over, and seen Weiss engaged in a spirited discussion with Ilia and her father. But Weiss was holding her own, talking about increased mechanization in Dust mining, and potential opportunities for Faunus Rights activism. Her father was certainly impressed, but Ilia seemed more guarded. That was hardly surprising. Ruby, meanwhile, had somehow skimmed over 'why' they were going to Argus, and was talking about the Argus Limited. She was starting to get technical, and her mother looked to Blake for help. Blake managed to swerve the conversation into a discussion of kingdom defenses, and got Weiss involved when she mentioned Atlas and Mantle. By the time the conversation had turned to the role of Huntresses and Huntsmen in society - with Ruby throwing in anecdotes on the subject from her uncle Qrow, and Ilia talking about some Huntsmen who'd gone after the White Fang because they wore Grimm masks, her father was gone.

  
Blake started cursing internally, looking around. Her father and Yang were both in the courtyard, facing each other. She started to stand up. Her mother put a hand on her shoulder. Leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Relax. We'll talk about it later." Pulled back and looked at her, an unusually serious expression on her face. Blake scanned her mother's face. Saw her gaze flicker to the courtyard, a trace of anger in her face.

  
_Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
She hadn't listened to her mother about Adam. Even when she'd been proven right, point by point. It was too late by then. Blake nodded, settled back into her seat.

_I will trust her. She's earned it. But I need to protect Yang. How can I protect her from anything, if I can't keep her safe from my own family? I can't choose between family and love again. I can't. I won't make the same mistake again. I need this to work. I need to protect Yang. I don't want to lose my parents again. I have to trust my mother. Yang didn't even tell me about this until today. She thinks she can handle it. She'd come back in if she couldn't. Yang has learned. Yang knows how to retreat. But it's Yang. Has she? Has she learned how to retreat, or just how to charge at a different target?_

  
_ She left the rest of us to hold off Mercury and Emerald. Mercury, who framed her. Who made her look like a monster in front of the world. But she went to chase after her mother - after Raven. She said she learned patience. But when she was that close? I know she visited Raven's camp, talked to her. And then walked away. Was it Yang retreating from Mercury, or charging after Raven?_

  
_ What was happening? Was this just round two of the 'discussion' between Yang and her father? No, no, her mother wouldn't have stopped her if that was the case. Unless it was her mother's idea in the first place. She wouldn't do that. She knows how much Yang means to me. What she's done for me. She knew how much Adam meant to you, and that didn't stop her from taking him apart in front of you. She was trying to help. She's my mother, she loves me. Raven is Yang's mother, do you think Raven loves Yang? Summer may have loved Yang, but she's still gone. Love doesn't mean that you don't make mistakes._

  
_I have to trust her. They've already been out there by themselves for a long time. Long enough to make them hate each other. There's nothing you can do anymore. Yang knows you abandoned her again. You can't protect her._

  
_ Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
_ I will protect her. I will. But I can't let myself become Adam. I can't wrap her in cotton and keep her safe. She's a Huntress. I'm a Huntress. Adam didn't keep you safe. He wanted to be the only one who could hurt you. You were **his** to break._

  
_ Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
_ And look where that got him. The only one to escape the capture of the White Fang. The leader who publicly abandoned his followers. A cell, as soon as he stops running. Adam may have tried to break you, but he's the one crawling around in the ashes and ruins of his dreams._

  
_ And I thought Adam was Spite. And I thought Yang was Strength, but here we are. Strength doesn't mean standing alone._

  
_Remember when Yang was teaching you how to use Ember Celica? Strength isn't just how big your muscles are, it's knowing how to use it. How to cheat. That's what Yang called it, even if it's just physics and biology. And psychology. Yang knows how to work out, how to study, how to get stronger. How to make your friends stronger. How to win. She'll get there. Adam didn't break her, either._

  
_ I have to trust my mother. I have to trust Yang._

  
_ Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
Blake managed to look outside herself. Over out into the courtyard. Yang was coming in. Walking normally, not in her bouncy combat steps. Her father was further out, watching the last light of the sun fade over the Mistral landscape.

  
Yang rejoined the group. "Did Ruby leave any cookies?" Her sister pushed a full plate of them towards her. "Stomach ache?"

  
Ruff scoffed. "Can't I just do something nice for you?"

  
Picking up a cookie, Yang smiled. "Yeah, but this is miraculous." She looked around the group. "Did the rest of you sit on her?"

* * *

Night had well and truly fallen by the time her parents were ready to leave. Her mother hugged everyone in turn. Ruby just had a happy little grin on her face. Ilia was going back with the Belladonnas, but she still got a hug. Blake expected Weiss to be stiffly formal, and just offer her hand, but she went in for a hug immediately. She'd have to sit everyone down eventually, and have them explain everything. Eventually. Right now, Blake was just happy that everyone seemed to be working on her side. Yang had been surprised by the embrace, but returned it after a second. When her mother gave Blake a hug, she'd whispered, "She does give good hugs." Blake immediately blamed Sun. She absolutely hadn't mentioned that to her mother. ...But maybe it was Ruby's fault. Blake hadn't been able to keep track of all the conversations.

  
Her father's parting comments were fairly typical. He recommended books. A compilation of short biographies on famous Huntresses for Ruby (mostly Faunus, Blake knew). _Ninjas of Love_ for Ilia. Blake absolutely did not know _when_ her father had read them, but he clearly had. Because he recommended the one book in the series that was a pairing of two women. Weiss just got a whole list, and the two of them put their heads together for a few minutes as he went through it, making comments on each one. Yang, he just reaching into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, purple book. Handed it to her. Yang looked at the blank front cover, flipped it open. Snorted, snapped it closed. Grinned back. Her father handed Blake a small book too. Black, with a golden design on the front. A double-bitted axe, garlanded by violets. She looked up at her father.

  
"I know you already have one book of FitzBattleaxe's poetry. This is a different translation. I thought you might enjoy another perspective."

  
Nodding, Blake slipped the book into her pocket. Reached up to give her father a hug. He returned it, holding her tightly. "I love you, Blake."

  
"I love you too, dad." Blake tried to keep her voice even. Squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears in.

  
Her father had lowered his voice to a rumble, so Blake felt rather than heard his next words. "Take care of Yang. She needs you."

  
"I will."

  
Kissing her on top of her head, her father let her go.

  
Ilia waved goodbye to all of them. Smiled? at Weiss. Blake shook her head. It was gone. She _must_ have imagined it. Ilia came closer to Blake, said, "Thanks for inviting me."

  
"Thanks for coming. I'll let you know when we're actually leaving, if you want to say goodbye."

  
She smiled. "Thanks." Looked like she was going to say more, then thought better of it. Slipped out the front door, followed by her father.

  
Blake's mother started in that direction too, but beckoned for Blake to follow her. They stopped just on the other side of the door. Her father and Ilia were already walking off, slowing to a stop a few streetlights down.

  
"Thank you for inviting us."

  
Trying not to let her anger out, Blake asked, "I might not have, if I had known about Yang and Dad."

  
Her mother sighed. "I know. He didn't tell me, either, when it happened."

  
"But you knew."

  
Nodding, her mother pressed ahead. "I made him apologize. And you saw Yang afterwards. It helped."

  
Blake swallowed a few responses, choked down more of her anger. "She isn't Adam. You knew that. I told you that. Sun told you that. Did Dad just not _get_ that?"

  
_Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
"Doing stuff like this is why I left the first time. Why did the two of you think it was okay now?"

  
Her mother looked down, her ears drooping.

  
"At least you haven't insulted Yang to my face yet. Is that why I'm out here now, so you can point out all of her flaws? Want to call Dad over? I'm sure he figured out more." Blake clamped her jaw shut, forced herself out of her aggressive stance. Leaned back against the doorframe, arms by her side.

  
"I'm not going to do that, Blake." Her mother looked up at her. "I could point out all of her good points, but I think you know those already. We both know she's willing to sacrifice herself for you. And that Adam would never have sacrificed himself for anything."

  
Blake swallowed. Her mother had made that exact point about Adam years earlier, and Blake had loudly disagreed. She knew how wrong she'd been now.

  
"I didn't ask your father to do what he did. I don't agree with it, either, and I told him that. He was worried, and not thinking. If you want to yell at him yourself, we can go over there."

  
Shaking her head, Blake sighed. "I don't. I love both of you, but-"

  
_Breathe in, hold it, breathe out._

  
"-you don't always make it easy."

  
Her mother put a hand on the back of Blake's head, went forehead to forehead with her. "I know. I'm sorry. We get so wrapped up with the movement and politics that we forget to just talk. Before things boil over. Did you want to come by tomorrow evening? Maybe bring Yang?"

  
Blake pulled back a bit. "I don't know. We have to leave soon. And we've got a lot of training to catch up on."

  
"If you have time. Just let me know. I'll clear our schedule."

  
"And... I don't know if Yang is ready. I don't know if _I'm_ ready." Blake sighed. "If we still had time-"

  
Her mother nodded, stroking Blake's hair. "It's all right. You and your team have important things to do. We can wait. Just - keep us updated? Either send them here or Menagerie. I don't think we'll be able to contact you until the CCTS is back, and with Atlas shutting itself off from the world..."

  
Blake nodded. "I'll write. Whenever I can."

  
"I love you, Blake. I don't want to lose you again."

  
Darting forward, Blake hugged her mother tightly. "You won't. I love you too."

  
After a long moment, they broke the embrace, and her mother went off to join her father and Ilia. All three of them waved, and started off down the road.

  
Blake watched them go, until they turned a corner and went out of sight. She turned, and went back inside. Ruby and Weiss were gathering up the tea and cookie dishes, leaving Yang sitting on the couch as they bustled off towards the kitchen. Yang had the little purple book open on her lap.

  
Sitting next to her, Blake looked at the book. The page Yang had open had a picture of a baby, and- That was her mother's handwriting. And her father's a little further on. She looked closer at the baby. _Oh no._ Blake looked up at Yang.

  
"You were adorable as a baby." Yang grinned at her.


End file.
